Kathy Patrick
Personal and Entertainment Chef
"The Healthy Gourmet"
March 8, 2011
Spinach for Spring - Spinach is one of those hardy winter vegetables that is harvested locally and around the Southeast from late in the year through about May. It's a great crop for the home gardener and many bigger farms also have tasty spinach available right now. In addition to being a great tasting, locally available product, it has some great health benefits (look what it did for Popeye!).
So what was it that made Popeye's muscles bulge and allow him to finish off so many big bad guys? Most likely Popeye's strength came from all the Vitamin K in spinach - 1 cup of fresh spinach has over 200% of the daily requirement and 1 cup of boiled spinach has over 1000% of the daily requirement for most adults (boiling reduces the volume of the fresh leaves so 1 cup of boiled spinach has more spinach in it). Vitamin K is extremely good for bone health by providing things than help prevent bone from breaking down and it also helps maintain calcium molecules inside the bone. Spinach is also an excellent source of other bone-supportive nutrients including calcium and magnesium and it is a significant source of energy-producing iron. Unlike Popeye, who could squeeze open a can, gulp it down and immediately sprout bulging muscles, it takes a bit of time for these benefits to our bones to occur - but keep eating spinach several times a week and you will see long term positive results to your health and vitality.:: more
